All of us have skin concerns and insecurities that are less than desirable.

Even as an esthetician, I have my bad skin days where I become frustrated or restless with my skin. Helping my clients improve their skin’s health and appearance has inspired me to appreciate the resilience and imperfection of my own skin. Whenever I take on the role of supporter to my clients when they have those bad days or they haven’t reached their goals yet, it has allowed me to authentically encourage my clients. I want to help anyone that is in the difficult place of criticizing their skin, to be gentle and graceful with themselves. Here are a few tips I’ve found over the years that will hopefully help to empower you on your journey of skin acceptance and skin health!

Remember Your Skin’s Purpose

Did you know that our skin is our body’s largest organ? That’s right! The skin’s main function is to hold us together and protect us from harm, and it does a pretty amazing job! Our skin’s main purpose is not to look perfect, but to keep us safe and healthy. As an esthetician, I know firsthand how easy it is to get caught up in the work of perfecting our skin. But the truth is, skin isn’t perfect and it is not meant to be. This idea that our skin should be completely even in tone, completely smooth and radiant, is somewhat of an unrealistic pipe dream. Perfect skin simply does not exist, at least not 100% of the time.

Naturally, as an esthetician, my main job is to help people take care of their skin through the art of skincare so they can achieve their ideal appearance. And honestly, I love doing this! However, I constantly have to remind myself and my clients that skin at the end of the day is doing its main function by protecting them. And that’s something worth celebrating!

Focus on the Positive

Maybe you developed adult acne; this greatly frustrates you and affects your confidence. The freckles that you love because they remind you of your father, feel covered by a problem that doesn’t seem to go away. Many of us have witnessed our skin under this kind of stress. When we are focused on that pimple or that breakout, our hyper-fixation does not help it to go away. In fact, oftentimes another zit decides to join it. I believe that in life and also when it comes to our skin, that what you focus on energetically grows in abundance. If you keep putting  your energy towards negativity, negativity will multiply. But, when you consciously make an effort to focus on the positive things about yourself and your skin, you will not only feel better but you will most likely look better as well. 

If you have a hard time identifying your positive attributes in this season, ask a friend. We are our own worst critics - chances are your close friend will rave about how beautiful you are inside and out! Even if you obtain your ideal skin-appearance in the future, everyone is susceptible to a bad skin day. Focus on the positive attributes or characteristics that you like about yourself and your skin now, so you can enjoy your skin to the fullest later.

Take Care of Yourself

Beauty and wellness stem from our holistic wellbeing. Every aspect of our lives can influence our skin including the physical, spiritual, and mental dimensions of wellness. Gurus and influencers don’t show on TikTok or Instagram Reels that the self-confidence they are portraying does not come without being responsible for caring for ourselves in every aspect of life. Clear skin can come from skincare, yes, but it also comes from…. 

• Eating fresh, natural foods instead of processed foods. 

• Drinking more water instead of sugary or caffeinated beverages. 

• Getting 8 hours of restful sleep every night. 

• Making time on a daily basis to do something that you enjoy doing.  

Nourish your body and skin by making healthy choices, and you will see the pay off! Small changes such as these can have a huge impact on how your skin looks and feels.

Embrace the World of Skincare

We live in a fortunate time where skincare, amongst many other things, have evolved immensely. If there is something you would like to change about your skin, chances are there is a skincare product or service that can help you make that happen. Although I encourage you to embrace every aspect of your natural self as it will make your everyday life more enjoyable and positive, do not allow yourself to feel defeated by something that you wish you could change. Do your research. Don’t be afraid to reach out to a dermatologist and esthetician for help. Yes, skincare and skincare treatments can be pricey and even a bit intimidating at first, but your skin is worth the investment. You won’t know if there is a solution out there for you unless you try it. Through educating yourself, discovering your options, and collaborating with a professional you can feel empowered and in control of your skin’s health.

You Are Unedited

I am unedited. You are unedited.

This is something that I continually remind myself of. It is not news at this point that the images we see of others in all forms of media are usually edited - highly edited. When we roll out of bed in the morning and walk to our bathroom mirror, the first image we see of ourselves is the unedited version. We see ourselves in the mirror with the unflattering bathroom lighting and we compare our bedheads to curated, airbrushed photos of celebrities and influencers.  When we see pictures of others, they are choosing to be seen by posting that photo. They most likely are in an ideal setting that allowed them to highlight a version of themselves that they wanted to be seen. What we see online is not the full story of others and oftentimes, behind-the scenes involved a lot of fine-tuning. We cannot escape this society we live in, but we have to fight to remind ourselves that what we are comparing ourselves to isn’t even real.

Although none of what I shared is ground-breaking information, I truly believe it is important. Implementing these tips can make a noticeable difference in how you feel about your skin and other aspects of yourself. I hope each and every one of you recognizes how unique and beautiful you are just simply by being you.